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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
wvb east region champs
Bob Blanchard
3
Winner Daemen Daemen 25-7,12-0 ECC
1
American Int'l AIC 29-7,11-2 NE10
Winner
Daemen Daemen
25-7,12-0 ECC
3
Final
1
American Int'l AIC
29-7,11-2 NE10
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Daemen Daemen 25 22 25 25 (3)
American Int'l AIC 20 25 21 19 (1)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications/Operations | 716-839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

Elite Status: Wildcats Claim East Region Championship Over Top-Seeded AIC

Daemen snaps AIC win streak at 22, advances to NCAA Division II Elite Eight

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - For the first time in program history, the Daemen women's volleyball team is headed to the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship Elite Eight. The Wildcats claimed the 2021 East Region championship by stunning top-seeded American International 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 25-19) in their home gym this evening. 

Daemen will learn its national quarterfinal opponent Sunday when the seeds for the Elite Eight are announced at ncaa.com. The Elite Eight runs from December 9-11 at the Bob Martinez Athletics Center on the campus of the University of Tampa (Fla.). 

Daemen, the East Region's No. 2 seed, extended its winning streak to 12 straight matches, improving to 25-7 this season. The Wildcats have won 21 of their last 23 matches, and tonight's victory snapped AIC's 22-match winning streak. It ranked as the second longest active winning streak in the country entering tonight's contest. The Wildcat victory was five years in the making as they repaid the Yellow Jackets for their 2016 East Region championship win on Daemen's home floor. 

Daemen advanced to tonight's regional final with wins over seventh-seeded Bentley (3-2) and third-seeded Stonehill (3-1). The Wildcats saved their most complete match for the final. Offensively, Daemen racked up 60 kills on a .217 hitting percentage. Defensively, the Wildcats matched their season-high with 106 digs.  

IMPACT PLAYERS
  • Senior outside hitter Sam Logan (Eden, N.Y.) and graduate right side Caitlyn Meyer (Clarence, N.Y.) paced a balanced Daemen offense as they combined for 32 kills while each recording double-doubles. Logan posted a match-high 17 kills and added 10 digs, one solo block and a service ace. Meyer finished with 15 kills, 17 digs and four assisted blocks - her best production of the tournament to date.
  • Junior outside hitter Maggie Burns (Louisville, Ky.) made her presence felt with five kills in the opening set and finished with 12 kills and 20 digs, while sophomore Vanessa Kuliga (Glenview, Ill.) chipped in nine kills.
  • Sophomore setter Olivia Alessi (East Aurora, N.Y.) recorded her team-leading 15th double-double of the season, finishing with 48 assists and a career-high 21 digs. 
  • Sophomore defensive specialist Jasmine Brundage (East Aurora, N.Y.) led all players with 27 digs.
  • Logan, Meyer, Burns, Kuliga, Alessi and Brundage were all named to the East Regional All-Tournament Team.
  • AIC's Andrea Serra-Rosa, the consensus East Region Player of the Year, totaled 14 kills, as did Paolo Soto-Burgos to pace the Yellow Jackets.
  • Naomi Eckert-Rivera recorded a double-double (42 assists, 21 digs) and Amanda Rodriguez had a team-high 22 digs in defeat.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Daemen's offense was firing on all cylinders right from the outset as the Wildcats pounded down 17 kills on a .267 hitting percentage while winning the opening set. The Wildcats took control with a 7-3 run midway through, turning a 10-10 tie into a 17-13 advantage. AIC battled back to get within 20-19, but a kill from DC's Kuliga sparked a 5-1 run that included a set-ending kill by Logan.

While Daemen's offense continued to click in the second set (16 kills, .224 hitting percentage), AIC responded with 15 kills and a .273 hitting percentage. The teams traded the lead three times before a 9-4 spurt gave AIC control, leading 20-16. Daemen got within 24-22 on a kill by Logan, but AIC evened the match following a Daemen hitting error on the ensuing point.

The teams continued to trade points through the third set. AIC led 17-16 when Daemen embarked on a 7-2 spurt to flip the script. Burns, Logan, Kuliga and Meyer all recorded kills in the run, and Brundage added a service ace. Meyer's second kill of the run put Daemen ahead 23-19 and the Wildcats closed the set on a kill by freshman middle blocker Amelia Armstrong (River Falls, Wisc.).

Daemen jumped out to an early 9-4 lead in the fourth set, and although AIC pulled within 9-8, the Wildcats never surrendered the lead. AIC committed a serving error on the ensuing point and Daemen maintained at least two points of separation for the remainder of the set. When the Yellow Jackets pulled within 20-18, Logan came through with a kill and an ace during a quick 3-0 run that put them on the verge of the upset. Serra-Rosa momentarily kept AIC in it with a kill, but Daemen responded with back-to-back kills from Kuliga and Meyer to end the match.

QUOTABLE - HEAD COACH STEPHANIE ALBANO
  • "We talked a lot about being balanced offensively and really getting our middles and right sides involved early. The last two days we've been really heavy on the outside with our offense. We executed that plan very well, and it's mostly thanks to our passing. We had our best passing match of the season tonight."
  • "We've really had a target on our back for most the last two months, but we talked about being able to go back to the underdog mentality tonight. The pressure was on AIC to keep their streak alive and to do it in their gym. That allowed us to play really aggressive right from the start."
GAME NOTES
  • Daemen improved to 5-2 all-time in NCAA tournament play. The Wildcats are making the third NCAA tournament appearance in program history (2016, 2018, 2021). 
  • This is the first NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship to be held since 2019. The tournament was wiped out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
  • With todays win, Daemen improves to 20-3 against East Region opponents this season. Since the 2016 season, Daemen is 84-29 against East Region opponents.
  • Daemen picked up just its second win in six lifetime meetings with AIC and snapped a four-match slide in the series. AIC had eliminated Daemen from the 2016 and 2018 NCAA tournaments and scored a 3-2 win over the Wildcats earlier this season (Sept. 17 at the Redhawks Classic hosted by Roberts Wesleyan).
  • The Wildcats have reached the 25-win plateau for the 10th time in program history, as well as the second time as an NCAA program. Daemen's 25 wins are the most in a season since 2016 when they finished with a 25-8 record. 
  • Daemen's 12-match win streak is the program's longest since rattling off 15 in a row during the 2016 season when they advanced to the regional finals, also known as the "Sweet 16."
  • Daemen is the 14th East Coast Conference team to advance to the Elite Eight in the last 20 seasons.
  • This marks the third East Region championship for Daemen teams during the 2021 calendar year. Daemen claimed regional titles in men's and women's basketball last March. 

UP NEXT
Daemen awaits its Elite Eight opponent and match time which will be announced by the NCAA tomorrow. 

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 18 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen College women's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWVB.
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